Canyon Spirit New Luxury Train in Colorado – Utah
Canyon Spirit, a division of Armstrong Collective, is the new name for Rocky Mountaineer’s Rockies to the Red Rocks train journey. Rocky Mountaineer, also under the Armstrong Collective brand, had been running the route between Denver, Colorado and Moab, Utah since its launch in 2021.
This is the only luxury train journey through America’s Southwest that features an all glass-domed train.
Canyon Spirit Expands Historic US Train Route
The new two-day train adventure, Rockies to the Red Rocks, runs between Denver, Colorado, and Moab, Utah. At an almost half-way point, there’s an overnight stay in historic Glenwood Springs, Colorado plus a new overnight stop in Moab, Utah.
A new three-day train adventure includes Salt Lake City route extension and will operate in addition to the existing two-day Rockies to the Red Rocks route, between Denver and Moab. En route to Salt Lake City, the train travels through the mountain passes in eastern Utah, with views of the Great Basin.
Just as guests experienced aboard Rocky Mountaineer, aboard Canyon Spirit, they’ll be treated to personalized service from onboard hosts that provide ongoing narration and point out wildlife sightings. Dining options feature locally sourced and regionally inspired dishes paired with local beer, wines, and spirits.
The new three-day Rockies to the Red Rocks Extension journey begins operating on April 21, 2026. It will travel weekly with one westbound departure from Denver and one eastbound departure from Salt Lake City.
The three-day rail journey, including overnight hotel accommodation in Glenwood Springs and Moab, will start at $2,123 USD plus tax, per person, and is available to book at www.canyonspirit.com.
The New Canyon Spirit Train Route
Rockies to the Red Rocks Experience
As passengers travel along the tracks, onboard hosts will tell stories, point out highlights along the way and answer questions. Because the train travels at such a slow speed, passengers are able to get a better look at the incredibly rugged scenery, and see groups of happy campers and colorful canoes along the Colorado River.
They don’t call this stretch “Moon River” for nothing.
Guests will take in the views through the train’s oversized glass-dome windows from the comfort of their spacious, reclining seats.
The onboard culinary experience will feature cuisine and ingredients local to the Southwestern U.S., which will be complemented with beverage service, and served at the seats, so guests can enjoy the scenery as they dine.
What to Expect Onboard Canyon Spirit
If you’ve taken Rocky Mountaineer in Canada, you will notice a slight difference onboard Canyon Spirit cars used for the new Southwest US experience. Because of height logistics, the familiar double-decker trains cannot be used on this train route. But there will still be two classes of service: Premier Class and a more budget-friendly Signature class.
Premier Class will include upgraded onboard cuisine, complimentary top-shelf cocktails and beverages, gourmet snacks, a private lounge and an additional outdoor viewing area.
Where the Train Route Will Travel
The Rockies to the Red Rocks route gives passengers an incredible view through the Southwest USA. The train travels between Denver and Glenwood Springs alongside the green-colored Colorado River. Also along that segment, the train passes through a series of canyons as it squeezes between steep, rugged rock walls.
From Glenwood Springs to Moab the ever-changing scenery offers mountain vistas, desert cliffs and other-worldly rock formations. The Rockies to the Red Rocks route will be available to travel in both the westbound or eastbound routes.
What are the Canyon Spirit Itineraries?
Same as Rocky Mountaineer, Canyon Spirit’s Rockies to the Red Rocks departures follow the same two-night trip between Denver and Moab with hotel nights included at Glenwood Springs, CO and the addition of a hotel in Moab, UT.
This can be turned into four-day round-trip journey, returning to Denver.
The three-night train adventure adds another train departure from Moab up to Salt Lake City, Utah. En route to SLC, Canyon Spirit travels through Price Canyon, carved by the Price River almost 100 million years ago. Guests will see dramatic rock formations, glimpses of the Price River between sandstone cliffs, as the train travels between the Book Cliffs and Wasatch Mountains.
Canyon Spirit offers several vacation packages, all with optional sightseeing tours.
Armstrong Collective still operates Rocky Mountaineer that includes three rail routes in Western Canada. Those three routes run between Vancouver and the Canadian Rockies with highlight overnights in Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper.
This post may contain affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
